Rotary internal-combustion engine



L. J. ROOT.

Patented Mar.2,1920.

.Illll ltll I m, 1.... I, IAIN L? r A ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. I918.

LEMMA J. ROOT, OF CLARKSTON, WASHINGTON.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Application filed May 9, 1918. Serial No. 233,514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMMA J. Roo'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clarkston, in the county of Asotin and State of WVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in R0- tary Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines of the type wherein the cylinders are arranged in opposed relation and are adapted to be rotated about the supporting shaft thereof when operated and it is the principal object of the invention to provide an engine having the pistons thereof arranged to receive a plurality of working impulses upon a single explosion in the engine cylinders thus eliminating considerable waste of energy such as now expended in those designs of engines employing immovable or stationary cylinder heads and also, materially reducing vibration of the parts of the engine during operation.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to provide the same with opposed cylinders in which explosions simultaneously occur at properly timed recurring intervals, thus effecting the balancing of the engine as well as reducing loss of power by vibration, thus permitting the greatest possible power to be derived with but a mini mum fuel consumption.

Another important characteristic of the invention resides in the novel arrangement of the engine cylinders and the connection of the pistons therein with the angle disks carried on the off-set portions or cranks of the power shaft in a manner to permit the direct transmission of the working impulses to the power shaft and to overcome any resistance which would tend to absorb or reduce the power of the engine.

The invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the parts of the engine, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims, which are appended to this specification and which form an essential part of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a' fragmentary longitudinal section through the improved rotary engine. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the connection of the opposed pistons thereof with the off-set or crank portion formed in the supporting shaft,

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the posit oning of the opposed cylinderswith relat10n to the peripheral portions of the angle disks and the mode of connection therebetween,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail partly in section showing the engagement of the intake and exhaust manifolds with the adjacent ends of one pair of cylinders and the relative arrangement of said manifolds, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail in section of a slightly modified form of pistons.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. l but in a plane at right angles to that on which Fig. 1 is taken.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like reference characters will designate corresponding parts, I employ a plurality of pairs of circularly arranged longitudinally disposed cylinders generally indicated by the numerals 1 and 2, which cylinders as will be noted, are arranged circularly about a longitudinally disposed supporting rod 3 extending centrally therethrough and having a plurality of off-set portions or cranks 4 formed therein and rotatably carrying angle disks 5, said disks having sockets 6 arranged thereon for a purpose which will be hereinafter more fully described. Extending into thesleeve 2 and arranged about one end of the supporting shaft is a power shaft 3, which shaft as will be noted has connection with the engine cylinders by way of said sleeve and is adapted to be rotated therewith, thus permitting the transmission of power therefrom. It is to be noted that the cylinders 1 and 2 composing the various pairs are arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and at relatively opposite angles, thus producing a substantially V-shaped arrangement, the opposite or outer ends thereof extending to points in proximity to portions of the angle disks 5 and being engaged in suitable anti-frictional bearings carried by brackets 7 arranged to rotate about portions of the supporting rod 8.

Crank cases 8 are provided and as will be noted are arranged adjacent the spaced ends of the various cylinders 1 and 2 and serve to retain lubricant therein during operation of the engine, such lubricant being supplied to the active parts by Way of an opening extending longitudinally through the supporting rod 3 and the several off-sets or cranks 4, which opening communicates with branch ways formed in the disks 5; the oil, of course, being directed into the longitudinally disposed opening and branch ways under pressure by means of a suitable force feed device or pump, not shown. Segmental bars 8 are arranged in the several crank cases and are slidably engaged by the angle disks 5 in order that rotation of the cylinders will be caused upon rotation of said disks 5.

Opposed pistons 9 and 10 are slidably arranged in the cylinders 1 and 2 and loosely carry the usual piston rods 11. which have spherical heads 12 arranged on their outer ends and adapted for reception in the sockets 6 carried by the various angle disks 5, hence,'effecting connection between the cylinders of the engine and said disks. It may be here noted, that the connection between the angle disks 5 and the piston rods 11 is such as to permit the direct transmission of the power derived from the working impulses of the pistons to the angle disks 5 thus elfecting'rotation of said disks and as a consequence obviating the power of the engine due to end thrust of the piston rods 11 to the crank portions 4 in the rod 3 during rotation of the disks 5 thereon.

Intake and exhaust manifolds 13 and 14 are provided, it being noted that the intake manifold 13 extends through the exhaust manifold 14 into engagement with ports formed in the intermediate portions of the V-shape arranged cylinders, that is,- at points adjacent the connected ends of the cylinders 1 and 2; suitable valves 15 being arranged adjacent the ports for closing the same at properly timed periods for an obvious purpose. The exhaust manifold 1 1 also extends into engagement with exhaust ports formed in the adjacent ends of the cylinders 1 and 2 in proximity to the intake ports therein. These exhaust ports are also provided with valves corresponding to the valves 15 and having connection with suitable means for operating the same at predetermined periods. In this way, it will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art that the fresh and spent gases will be introduced into and discharged from the combustion chambers of the various cylinders at properly timed recurring intervals and as a consequence, efficient functioning of the engine will be permitted.

If desired, I reserve the right to form the adjacent ends of the various pistons working in the cylinders 1 and 2 in the manner as shown in the Fig. 5, wherein said ends of the pistons are slightly dished to eliminate as much space as possible between the same when they meet upon their compression and exhausting strokes, thus insuring the proper compression of. the explosive charges and the eflicient scavenging of the engine cylinders.

Spark plugs 17 or other suitable forms of ignition means are arranged in the cylinders 1 and 2 at points in proximity to the adjacent ends thereof and as will be understood are connected with properly timed mechanism to cause the ignition and explo the compressed charges at proper rods 11 therewith which in turn will cause the rotation of the cylinders about the supporting rod 3 and thereby effect rotation of the power shaft 3. Furthermore, since these working impulses are evenly divided and are delivered to the angle disks from the oppositely disposed cylinders 1 and 2, vibration will 'be reduced to minimum and consequently, loss of power attributable thereto will be avoided. Furthermore, as hereinbefore stated, since the piston rods 11 are connected to the angle disks 5 in a manner such as to obviate any resistance which might be caused by the end thrusts to the disks 5, it will be appreciated that this will serve to prevent the absorbing or reduction of the power produced from the working impulses of the various pistons.

Manifestly, the construction. shown is ca pable of considerable modification and such modification as is within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a rotary engine, opposed longitudinally disposed angularly arranged cylinders, opposed pistons insaid cylinders, a supporting rod extending centrally between said cylinders for rotatably supporting the same and having portions thereof angularly offset to form cranks, disks rotatable on said cranks and connected to the pistons, and a power shaft connected to and rotatable with said cylinders.

2. In a rotary engine, opposed longitudinally disposed angularly arranged pairs of cylinders, opposed pistons working in said cylinders, a supporting rod arranged centrally of the cylinders having the opposite ends and intermediate portion thereof off-set to form cranks angularly disposed relative to the axis of said rod, disks carried by said cranks and arranged at angles with relation to the adjacent ends of the cylinders, and means for elfecting connection between said disks and said pistons.

3. In a rotary engine, a plurality of substantially V-shaped pairs of longitudinally disposed cylinders arranged in a substantially horizontal plane, pistons working in said cylinders, a supporting rod extending longitudinally between said cylinders having portions thereof off-set to form cranks, and disks carried by said cranks having connections and arranged at angles to the adjacent ends of the cylinders.

4. In a rotary engine, a plurality of circularly arranged substantially V-shaped pairs of longitudinally alined cylinders, pistons working insaid cylinders, a supporting rod arranged centrally of said circularly disposed cylinders having the opposite ends and intermediate portion thereof off-set to form cranks, disks carried by said cranks and arranged at angles with relation to the adjacent ends of the cylinders, and means for effecting connection between said disks.

5. In a rotary engine, a plurality of angularly arranged cylinders, pistons working in said cylinders, a supporting rod arranged centrally of the cylinders having portions thereof off-set to form cranks disposed angularly to the axis of said rod, disks rotatable on said cranks, and means for efiecting connection between the pistons and disks in a manner to eliminate end thrust to the disks and the cranks carrying the same.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

LEMMA J. ROOT 

